Looking Eastward

Christmas and a New Year

2009-01-15T13:24:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos to catch you up on the end of 2008 for the Whelan family.

At Green Needles' Christmas Tree farm picking out a tree. This is our Lynchburg Christmas tree tradition! There are goats on the farm, and this one behind Luke is standing on the table! It was so cold that day, we picked a tree in a hurry and got home with it. While we were decorating it started snowing. It was so picturesque!

The family in front of the tree.

Luke's preschool class sang Christmas songs for us and got to wear their pajamas. Luke was all about the hand motions and sang out really well.

Jackson's class joined in on a few songs. Both boys are still singing Christmas songs around the house, especially "Away in a Manger," "Silent Night," and "Jingle Bells."

The preschoolers enjoyed birthday cake for Jesus after their performance. Luke was excited to be with best buds Hadley and Holter.

Christmas morning at our house! Santa put toothbrushes in their stockings--isn't he practical?

More bliss. The big present from Santa was Nerf guns. Luke got a Goobi magnet set from us, Candyland from Jackson. Jackson got a singing, light-up, hydraulic car from us and bath crayons from Luke.

On Christmas Day we traveled to Newnan, GA, to stay at Shane's oldest sister's house for a few days. Here are four of the cousins before they opened presents. All are donned in MSU apparel for a special grandkid picture taken that day.

We then traveled to Marietta to stay with my parents for a few days. Luke and Jackson were listening to this present to figure out what it was...but it wasn't making noise so I'm not sure how useful that was =)

Shane and I spent New Year's Eve with my brother, Ben. We went to a fun Irish pub and it was great to spend some time with Ben.

Ringing in 2009! Enjoying life as usual.

Colorado

2008-11-06T07:59:00.005-06:00

The Rockies!

Aspen Trees

Ring Around The Rosey

Sprague Lake

The Keyhole at Devil's Backbone Trail

Bear Lake

Elk!

Time with GG and Grandpa and Halloween

2008-11-06T07:41:00.006-06:00

A hard nights work

Jackson is terrified of the dragon

Say hello to my little friend!

Luke, Grandpa, and GG

The Natural

Mississippi State Visit

2008-11-06T07:29:00.006-06:00

We spent some time in Starkville and walked around campus quite a bit. Luke and Jackson had fun exploring the home of the Dawgs!

GG and the boys

Some column loving!

Open your eyes

Luke was loving the glider.

"Bully" and the boys.

Fall Carnival and Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-06T07:11:00.004-06:00

Painting Pumpkins Sliding Down

The Cautious One

Bean Bad Tossin'

The Bold One

The Joys of Fall

2008-10-07T14:12:00.004-05:00

The boys' first day of preschool. Jackson did wear shoes once he got to school. =)

Family picture on a hayride at Drumhellers' Orchard.

Luke, Jackson, and Nana explored the fields around Appomattox Courthouse.

Nana and Pop with the boys. We had so much fun together, enjoying the beautiful weather and each other's company.

"Picking" apples at the Orchard.

Nana and Pop pose with a pumpkin in front of the apple trees.

Luke and Jackson with the pumpkins they picked off the vine.

Who you really want to see...

2008-09-17T13:37:00.003-05:00

What have Luke and Jackson been up to this summer?

Hiatus

2008-08-26T20:07:00.006-05:00

Our summer was a-ma-zing! We were too busy to blog as we went along, but now we can give you the recap. Here are some glimpses into youth trips to Senior High RYM in Panama City in July and a mission trip to the Wade Center in Bluefield, WV in August.

Jr. High RYM

2008-07-02T16:22:00.002-05:00

A few pictures from Shane's recent trip with 9 Jr. High boys to Panama City, FL for the annual RYM Conference. We will be headed back to Panama City next week for our Sr. High trip with 26 students.

Chipper Jones...I mean Whelan.

2008-07-01T09:36:00.004-05:00

Last week Jackson was "swimming" at the pool and slipped on the stairs and chipped one of his front teeth. The corner is now missing, and I must say he looks pretty tough. If we can somehow get the corner of the other front tooth to chip off we would have ourselves a nice-looking fanged animal-esque human. Jackson will have to wait 4 years or so until the permanent teeth come in to regain his natural look, so we will see what happens between now and then. --Shane

Summertime

2008-06-22T15:53:00.004-05:00

Summer travels and adventures are in full swing...Shane just got home from Junior High RYM in Panama City, FL, and we are both headed back in a couple of weeks for Senior High. Earlier in June I got to go to Marietta by myself for a few days to help throw my dear friend Jennifer a baby shower and enjoy some time with friends and family. In August we'll go to Bluefield, WV, for a mission trip. Throw in some time at the pool and in the sprinkler, and our summer is pretty much full in a wonderful way.

Our magnolia tree is blooming and giving off that sweet, distinctly Southern aroma.

Luke started swimming lessons last week at our city pool. He's learning to jump off the side through the hula hoop.

L & J don't need a pool at all. Just dump the toys out of the Rubbermaid tub and fill it with water.

I don't think Jackson is that skinny--he's gasping because the water is so cold!

Me and my "little" brother, Ben, when I visited home for the weekend.

Me and my mom

After Jennifer's shower

The guest of honor, Jennifer Conley, is in the pink floral shirt, and the other ladies and myself hosted a shower for her to celebrate the arrival of her baby girl in August. Jennifer and I have been close since our sophomore year in high school, and it's been a blessing to share all the big moments of life--and lots of little ones--together! She will be a wonderful mommy.

The Holy Spirit?

2008-05-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday when we were in church Pastor Chris was explaining that it was Trinity Sunday and talking about the Father, Son and, Holy Spirit. Luke leaned over and asked Laura if Pastor Chris was the Holy Spirit? Of course we laughed a little to ourselves and told him no he was not. The neat thing was trying to explaining to Luke that Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside each of them. Part of the biggest joy of parenthood is the opportunity to share the mystery of the Gospel and what God has done for us in the Holy Spirit and Christ.

A Day in Luray

2008-05-26T19:40:00.006-05:00

We went to Luray, VA about 2 and a half hours from Lynchburg for a couple days, just to get a away for a bit. Luray is best known for the Luray Caverns that were discovered in the 1870's. The first picture is inside the caverns. The pictures we took don't do the beauty of the caverns justice. Luke and Jackson liked being in a cave under the ground.

Laura feeding a yak and Luke keeping his distance.

Our lil' roos!Our family did the maze in Luray. Luke really enjoyed trying to figure out what way we needed to go. It was a bit more frustrating for Jackson. We stopped at Dark Hollow Falls on the way back.

Dad got a work out on the hike back to the car!

Luke's Big Day

2008-05-14T14:09:00.005-05:00

May 6 was Luke's 4th birthday. We tried to make it a special, fun day for him and are looking forward to continuing the celebration this weekend when Nana and Pop come to visit and we have his party on Sunday afternoon at Peak's View Park. We let him open his present from us in the morning before preschool. It is a T-Rex that moves, growls, and glares with yellow eyes. Then Luke had preschool, so he took cupcakes to share with his friends. That night Luke picked out our dinner menu: pork chops, french fries, and ladybug cookies for dessert. My mom introduced us to ladybugs: Nilla wafers with red frosting and chocolate chip spots. Then Luke got to choose where he wanted to go for the evening, and he chose the park.

This picture is in our backyard, where the boys spend most of their time these days. Luke finished his soccer season with gusto. Although they didn't get any wins, the little guys learned a lot in their first season. By the last game, they had stopped falling on the ground intermittently and were taking fewer snack breaks =)

Luke took this picture and it just cracks me up. These two Lightning McQueens must be on hand at all times. We must know exactly where they are or all is not right in the universe. Dynaco Lightning (the blue one for you mothers of girls) is Luke's and regular Lightning (red) is Jackson's.

Nap Time

2008-05-10T15:14:00.003-05:00

A look into the Whelan boys napping preferences...

Little Animals

2008-04-25T12:41:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Rivermont Preschool had the annual Noah's Ark parade. The kids dress up like animals, hear the account of the flood and God's saving grace to Noah and his family, and then walk around and through the church like they're following Noah onto the ark. Luke was very excited about his beluga whale costume, continuing the marine life theme from last year (he was a shark). We do realize that aquatic life probably wasn't brought on the ark, but obviously God made provision for these creatures to survive the flood. And Jackson was a giraffe and actually wore his giraffe hat pretty well, especially when his little friends showed up at school with their animal hats on.

Love & Thunder

2008-04-23T08:46:00.003-05:00

Two posts in as many days--watch out, I'm on fire! No pictures for this one, but I had to share something I just read. I'm in the process of cleaning the house this morning while the boys are at preschool, trying to get ready to welcome my Bunko group tomorrow night. I went to put in a CD to listen to while cleaning, and I picked one of my favorite Andrew Peterson CDs "Love & Thunder." I found this on the inside cover and was just blown away by the truth and depth of it:

"All over the quiet plains, beneath the snow on the high mountains, rustling through the cattails that congregate along the water, you can feel the presence of a promise. On cold nights when you look at the sky, sometimes your breath catches in your throat at how bright the night can be, not nearly as dark as the tree line on the horizon, and as you stand there shivering with your hands bunched in your pockets suddenly you remember that you're standing on a rock in the midde of space. Suddenly the notion that there's a Someone who made it all and knows us all no longer seems quite so far-fetched; indeed, it seems too good to be false.

"But here we toil and we till the hard earth, where even the warm times with friend and kin are lonely because we know they won't last long enought to quiet the ache. Our sadness points to Home the way hunger points to the feast, the way the light of the cratered moon is always facing the sun, alwyas pointing to where the dawn will come like a pillar of fire when this rock we walk on turns again to burning day. All over the quiet plains and the cold stone cities full of dying and shame the promise is not drowned out by the weeping; it is declared by it.

"God died as a man and rose again, and the sound of the fiery blast of Death exploding shook the firmament. Throughout the wail and shudder, over the shriek and moan of man the thunder has sounded and sung, and it is both the answer and the promise. It sings still, and you can hear what it says if you listen: love never dies."

We live in this spiritual reality as much as we live in the day-to-day bustle of ordinary life, but I so often forget where my citizenship really is, that this life and this place are just shadowlands of what is to come. Some might think we're crazy for hanging our hope on what we can't see, but it doesn't mean we keep our heads in the clouds and become escapists who are out of touch with reality. Instead, living in the promise means our lives here are packed with purpose. I'm mopping the floor to the glory of God. I'm changing this diaper to the glory of God. I'm loving my husband and children to the glory of God, knowing that it's more than just mopping the floor and changing a diaper and loving my family. It's what God has given me to do in obedience to Him, out of love, in response to His grace and mercy.

Kicks and Giggles

2008-04-22T18:23:00.005-05:00

Luke's soccer games have been sporadic due to rain--one was cancelled altogether and another was in progress when it started pouring. But this past Saturday was beautiful and the three and four-year-olds got a good workout. They practice for 30 minutes and then play against another team for 30 minutes. There is no real score being kept, but each week the kids are doing better. Luke enjoys it but is worn out by the end of the hour, even with several juice and goldfish cracker breaks. He told his coach this week, "I'm running out of running."

Luke and Coach Sam Holter, Levi, and Luke On a side note, doesn't Levi look like he could be one of our kids? His baby pictures look remarkably like Jackson's. Pretty funny. Luke practicing Jackson runs around the entire time dribbling the ball. Really dribbling. With his little feet and legs. He doesn't seem to get tired at all and has been known to jump in the game at any given moment--on Luke's team, the opposing team, or on another field in another game. He is in hog heaven on the YMCA soccer fields. We debated putting a jersey on him and officially putting him in the game this week.

End of an era

2008-04-12T15:22:00.002-05:00

In the fall 0f 1995 I purchased a Jansport MSU sweatshirt. During my college years, the sweatshirt became synonymous with me. It was by the far the best sweatshirt I have ever had. Those who have known me for a while know what I am talking about. All this to say, I have lost my sweatshirt. To recount all the great moments in MSU sports this sweatshirt endured with me would take days. It surely will be missed.

Firsts

2008-04-04T14:28:00.006-05:00

We like to celebrate "firsts" around here; actually we like to celebrate everything! But I pay a lot of attention to the moments when Luke and Jackson learn something new or say something for the first time or experience something special. It seems like we've had many of those moments lately--little and big. Luke discovered he could climb our magnolia tree in the front yard. He didn't go too high--not yet--but that's a special rite of passage for a Southern boy. He also had his first soccer practice and game. He is on the Bulls' team with three of his buddies from church, and although it was pretty chilly here last Saturday, he had fun on the field. He is #45; we laughed about that extremely common soccer number. And then we celebrated Easter here at Rivermont for the first time. Wait, you're thinking, I know they've been there almost two years. Correct, but I was sick last year and none of us even went to church on Resurrection Sunday. I was drugged up and don't even remember it. So this year was especially special for me. I actually requested that we go up to the church Saturday night before Easter to see the flowers and take pictures with the sunlight coming in the stained glass windows. I am a goober, I know. But it was so worth it. People have raved to me about the Easter flowers before, but I didn't realize the smell of lilies would overwhelm you when you walk in the back door, and that flowers would be everywhere, even outside the church. And that was just a small preparation for the celebration of worship we enjoyed Sunday morning. All of that beauty and loveliness pointed us to the goodness of God and the new life we have in Christ. Worship was triumphant and joyful and left me awe-struck at the reality of Christ resurrected. And the beauty of it all is that we can live in the joy of our salvation every day. So here are a few pictures that don't really do it justice.

This is actually the lid of our baptismal font (I don't know if those terms are right, but you know what I mean). I thought it was a cool picture with Luke's finger pointing to the dove.

SIN

2008-03-25T11:05:00.003-05:00

Last Friday Luke informed Laura that he was going to do whatever he wanted to do. He said he did not care if we put him in timeout, gave him x's on his discpline chart, or used any others means of discipline. Luke followed this up on Saturday with one of the biggest fits he has ever thrown which came to an exciting climax by him peeing right in the middle of our living room floor. This was no accident, you could see the wheels turning in his head and just how pre-meditated it was. Needless to say his behavior has been much better since Saturday, but Laura and I were reminded of the effects of the Fall and the depth of sin in us all no matter what age.

The Big TWO!

2008-03-19T15:02:00.003-05:00

Jackson turned two on March 15. We had his party on March 17 and invited a couple friends over. Laura made a Nemo cake and her effort was quite impressive. We also had an egg hunt and that was a big hit. It is hard to believe that Jackson was 4 months old when we moved to Lynchburg.

Point City Peeps

2008-03-19T14:48:00.003-05:00

Aaron and Phillip came and visited us last week. They were both part of the youth group in West Point, MS at First Presbyterian EPC . It was great seeing these guys and spending 4 days with them. I took them into the mountains of Virginia for an afternoon. We went to a place called Panther Creek Falls. We were the only ones for what seemed like miles around. It was nice getting out in Creation, and Luke really enjoyed spending time with the big boys.

Little Photog

2008-03-12T13:27:00.004-05:00

I let Luke loose with the camera last weekend, and here is what the world looks like through his lens.

Little feet

Luke's beloved bike

Our backyard shed

Our deck

Time Change = More Sleep

2008-03-10T15:45:00.002-05:00

Luke and Jackson BOTH slept past 7am this morning. It was a blessing and one that Laura and I hope continues. Luke and Jackson are early risers, so we hope they do not revert back to their former ways. So far so good!

In the Kitchen with Luke and Jackson

2008-03-04T06:14:00.003-06:00

L and J helped me make a chocolate chip poundcake Saturday, one of our favorite desserts--even before it's baked! They love to help me "cook." They refer to anything done at the counter, even the assembling of sandwiches, as cooking. Shane was a big help too, licking the beaters so I didn't have to wash them. =) You can see that the tendancy to be a big ham in front of the camera is genetic. Notice Jackson's big boy haircut. Now we can brush his hair without him crying!

Mrs. Pat had the duty of the first real haircut. She is Luke's Sunday school teacher and was his 2-year preschool teacher, so Jackson will be in her preschool class next year. She is a wonderful teacher and cuts hair too! We went specifically to get a trim for Luke, and after he was done, Jackson startd climbing up in the chair and said, "My turn!" I wasn't mentally prepared for this somewhat emotional event, but I was more excited that he would actually volunteer to get his hair cut. He looks pretty spiffy now.

Shane's Turn

2008-03-03T20:44:00.002-06:00

If he were a shoe, he'd be a cleat.

If he were a city, he'd be Starkville, MS.

If he were a season, he'd be autumn.

If he were a car, he'd be a Jeep.

If he were a vegetable, he'd be corn.

If he were a fruit, he'd be a banana.

If he were a color, he'd be blue.

If he were a country, he'd be the United States.

If he were a piece of furniture, he'd be a coffee table.

If he were a beverage, he'd be a Guinness.

If he were the weather, he'd be sunny.

If he were a piece of clothing, he'd be a T-shirt.

If he were a dessert, he'd be brownies.

If he were a plant, he'd be a lily.

If I Were...

2008-03-03T14:33:00.004-06:00

Here's my "If I Were." I'll get Shane to do this later too.

If I were a shoe, I'd be a flip flop.

If I were a city, I'd be Asheville, NC.

If I were a season, I'd be spring.

If I were a car, I’d be an Eclipse convertible (I've just always wanted one of those).

If I were a vegetable, I’d be a cucumber.

If I were a fruit, I’d be a peach.

If I were a color, I’d be pink.

If I were furniture, I’d be a front porch swing.

If I were a country, I’d be Switzerland, nice and neutral.

If I were a beverage, I'd be Diet Dr. Pepper.

If I were clothing, I'd be a great purse. Okay, that's not clothing, but I can't think of any item of clothing that I like as much as a great purse.

If I were weather, I'd be a summer afternoon after a thunderstorm, when everything is cooler and greener and smells so good.

If I were a dessert, I’d be key lime pie.

If I were a plant, I’d be an orchid. Tag, fellow bloggers, your turn!

Great Sermon

2008-02-28T10:14:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday Pastor Mabray preached on Matthew 10:34-39. It was the first time I have ever heard anyone preach on that passage. It was a great sermon and Laura and I continue to feel blessed to be part of a church where God and His Word are at the center of all things. It is also a huge blessing to have pastors who will tackle difficult sections of Scripture and not water them down. If you are curious you can listen to Pastor Mabray's sermon from February 24 titled "No Peace, but a Sword" by clicking on this link. http://www.rivermont.org/sermons/2008/index.htm

Spartan Trail

2008-02-16T11:38:00.003-06:00

This morning we visited a new spot that is very close to home. We live in the Sandusky neighborhood of Lynchburg, meaning we are right down the street from Sandusky Elementary and Middle Schools. Behind the schools is a huge playground, soccer fields, a football field, and a trail leading to someplace we hadn't explored. We went to the playground for the boys to play and then hiked down the Spartan Trail to find this beautiful creek and old stone mill. It was a hidden treasure, and we enjoyed our discovery.

What's New?

2008-02-15T18:01:00.005-06:00

Running amok The bowling ramp saves the day The "I want to do it myself" face.

Last Saturday we went bowling with the middle school students in the youth group. Our friends the Halls joined us, and we got a lane with bumpers for the little guys to bowl. We also got this great ski-ramp looking device the kids could roll the ball down to get some momentum. They had a blast although it was a bit chaotic to control three 3-year-olds, a 2-year-old, and an almost 2-year old in an environment full of heavy bowling balls and oblivious teenagers. Luke actually bowled a strike using the ramp, and he said, "I can't believe I rolled a stripe, Mom!" It was pretty cute.

My friend Jennifer made the very accurate comment that sometimes blogs sound sugary sweet, making everything sound rosy and not very real. I have to agree. This will not be one of those posts! =)

We certainly don't have any bad news, but instead we're going to be honest about our good news--Luke is completely 100 percent potty trained. woohoo! It has been a long hard road, considering he'll be 4 in May, and as Shane and several of our friends in the same situation have said, it can be the most difficult, most challenging thing parents face with a young child. He had no problem going #1; he's been doing that in the potty for almost a year. However, he adamantly refused #2. But the good news is that all that has changed dramatically. He's not wearing diapers/pull-ups at all. And he is so proud of himself, and we are relieved and feel the stress level in our lives has gone down a notch. And all you overachiever moms whose beloved cherubs mastered this at 18 months, more power to you.

So with this in mind, a little encouragement for all our many, many friends who are pregnant right now: There is no formula for raising kids. It is SO challenging, and you'll want to scream when people tell you to just relax and enjoy it. But then you realize they're right. Despite how it feels, those little trials don't last forever. And life enters warp speed when you add children to your family. Parenthood has been a tool that God has used to teach us, to show us our sins in the mirror of our children, to help us glimpse the delight He takes in us, to show us His infinite patience, to show us the need for justice and mercy, to remind us to cling to the Cross.

Let It Snow!!

2008-01-24T08:44:00.000-06:00

View off our back deck Laura and Jackson Luke and our snowman

Happy Bulldogs

2008-01-14T14:06:00.000-06:00

New Year's Day--the day of Georgia's bowl game. We were ready. Luke took this picture of Shane and me. Jackson's latest trick is when we ask him, "Where are your teeth?" he gives us this hilarious expresson every time.

Shane and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary yesterday! It's hard to believe seven years have already gone by. We went out to a new Lynchburg restaurant Saturday night and just enjoyed each other's company and some delicious food. We got to eat and have an extended conversation at the same time--a rare treat for those with small children =)

Weird Stuff at Our House, Part 2

2008-01-10T13:07:00.000-06:00

So yesterday morning, I'm taking the kids to the car to go to preschool, when I see this ginormous opossum walking across our driveway to our magnolia tree. Ordinarily I wouldn't be really scared of an opossum, but it was broad daylight and I remember hearing that if an opossum or raccoon is wandering around in the daylight they could be rabid. Also, this thing was kind of staggering and had his mouth open like he was panting. I rushed the boys back inside, and after Shane saw it and agreed it didn't look good, we got out the phone book to call animal control. But a Public Works truck picking up Christmas trees (cross-reference my previous post here) came along at that moment, and the driver slowed down when he saw the crazy opossum. He leaned out his truck and we discussed with him whether or not this thing was rabid. We came to the consensus that it was and he said he would call animal control. By this point the opossum had meandered out into the middle of the road and was just kind of going in circles. Shane told me to take the boys to the car (a safe distance from the road, don't worry) and he would keep an eye on the opossum. Then he went ahead and took the boys to school, and I took up watch at the door. The garbage truck driver stayed and watched the opossum too, and one of our neighbors was out watching all this from her driveway. After about 20 minutes, the animal control guy shows up, hops out, picks up the opossum by the tail, and throws it in the back of his truck like it was nothing. Is that a scary commentary on how many rabid animals he deals with each day, or is he just the Steve Irwin of animal control? Luke was completely fascinated by all of this and will probably be scared to death of opossums for the rest of his life. Shane said he walked into his little class and started telling them about the sick opossum in his yard!

The Christmas Tree Caper

2008-01-02T14:15:00.000-06:00

We had the strangest thing happen, and in Shane's words, "You have to blog about this." Yesterday we took the ornaments and lights off our Christmas tree, and Shane dragged it out to the curb. This is proper garbage protocol here; we've seen neighbors with trees at their curbs as well. Shortly after, we went to get some groceries. When we got back home, our tree was gone. It was a windy morning, and on the chance that it rolled down the hill or into a neighbor's yard, we drove around looking for it. It was nowhere to be seen, so we just chalked it up as one of those strange things that happens to us on occasion. We thought maybe the garbage people came by (although that seems strange on New Year's Day), or maybe a landscaping company was picking them up to put through a chipper and use as mulch or something. I don't know--I mean what else could it have been? Well, this morning, Shane went outside to warm up his car, and he came right back in and said, "Go look in the driveway." I knew immediately what I would see: our Christmas tree. It was laying dead-center at the end of our driveway, and it had no needles on its bottom half. It had branches but no needles. I was completely creeped out by this. I am pretty sure that the tree must have blown down into a neighbor's yard, and they knew it was ours and returned it. But we looked around pretty well yesterday and didn't see it. Maybe someone borrowed it. If any of you reading this have any information, you can call in an anonymous tip.

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

Back from our Christmas travels, we are ringing in the New Year at home in Lynchburg tonight. Last week, we visited Nana and Pop and Uncle Ben, and then we went to Aunt Danielle and Uncle Kurt's house in Newnan for a visit with Shane's side of the fam. Trips always go too fast--you wish you could spend more time with those you love. But it is still incredibly nice to be home! Here are some pictures of Christmas Day. Happy 2008!

December Preschool Fun!

2007-12-22T11:42:00.001-06:00

Luke and Holter celebrate at a birthday party for Jesus in Luke's class.

Shane shared the Christmas story with Luke's class during "Circle Time." In the beloved sandbox. Notice the scuffle over the cement mixer. Pastor and Mrs. Mabray shared the Christmas story during our preschool's Christmas program. The different classes wore their pajamas and sang songs between readings. The four-year-olds came out first and sang the most songs. They definitely knew their stuff. Then Luke's three-year class came out and did a little bit of singing and a few hand motions. Then the two-year-olds came out and pretty much just stood there. Then Jackson's one-year class walked in with their teachers and jingled bells all the way to their mommies and daddies in the audience. Except for Jackson. As you can see in the video in the post below, he did come sit with us. Then he noticed Luke on stage and started calling, "Luke! Luke!" So I told him to go stand with Luke, and he did, front and center for the rest of the program! It was really precious, and Luke got a huge kick out of it.

Ringing and Singing

2007-12-22T09:55:00.000-06:00

Interesting Stuff

2007-11-28T09:19:00.000-06:00

My friend Robin challenged me on her blog to share 8 interesting things people don't know about me. I confess that I was lying in bed last night trying to think of things to reassure myself that I am, in fact, interesting. =) Here's what I came up with: 1. I have been snorkeling with sea turtles. 2. I like watching "Cops" on TV. It's not that it's entertaining so much as it's enthralling. It never ceases to amaze me what people will say to get out of trouble. 3. I wrote and sold a poem about firefighters to a company that makes those cheesy plaques you can buy in gift stores. And, yes, the poem was cheesy. 4. I played in the snow in the middle of July (on top of a mountain in Vancouver, BC). 5. I have never seen any of the original Star Wars movies, and I don't feel the need to. 6. I was the fourth-grade spelling bee champ of Kincaid Elementary School, and I still remember the word I missed in the school bee: e-m-b-a-r-r-a-s-s-e-d. 7. In college, I was a summer camp counselor at Camp Sandmann at Lake Allatoona in Georgia, and it was the most physically exhausting job I have ever had, but I loved it. 8. I played flute in my high school marching band. So maybe you learned something new about me. This is fun! I tag Ashley S. and Britney H. to go next!

More recently...

2007-11-16T12:18:00.000-06:00

Luke, Jackson, and I at Rivermont's All Hallows Eve Party. I was one half of the duo who came up with all the booths and activities for this party and coordinated volunteers, and by the time of this picture I was worn out! We had a great time though and we met lots of new folks from our community who came by for the food, fun, and games. Jackson decorated our senior pastor's "beard" with cheese puffs. Playing games, dressing up, eating and drinking sugar all day...who doesn't love this holiday? Shane's 32nd birthday was Oct. 30. Luke asked that we make dad a green cake, so imagine a green cake under that chocolate icing. My first attempt at pumpkin carving went pretty well. Luke wanted a scary one, and I think I delivered. Shane was actually a little concerned that our neighbors would think we are mean because of our scary pumpkin =) Grrrr

Catching Up

2007-11-16T09:06:00.000-06:00

October was crazy busy for us, and here it is the middle of November! I'll share some of the highlights of the past couple of months. The pictures are in kind of random order, but you'll get the idea. First, we went camping with our good friends the Halls. Twins Hadley and Holter are Luke's age, Michaiah is Jackson's age, and Michael and Heather are our age =) Friends for everybody. They went camping in George Washington National Forest and we joined them for an afternoon/evening. Here are some pics of our outdoor adventure.

GG came to visit for a long weekend, and we all went to the pumpkin patch. GG, Shane, and I went to watch Mississippi State play at West Virginia. The drive was beautiful; the campus, not so much. Luke and I went to a caramel apple party at the Hannings' house.

Back to School

2007-09-18T13:37:00.001-05:00

We took Luke to a Lynchburg Hillcats game back in August along with some guys from our youth group. We sat behind home plate and we were on the evening news cheering and waving. Jackson playing in our backyard. He and Luke like to throw rocks back in the woods, and he's showing me a rock here.

This was Luke and Jackson's first day at preschool, the Tuesday after Labor Day. They are enjoying their classes very much and are bringing home all kinds of cute projects and lots of sand in their shoes from the playground. They both go Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Summer Continued

2007-08-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Pictures from senior high RYM in early July. We were in Panama City, FL, with 12 youth from our church. We got the added bonus of seeing youth from our old church in West Point.

GG came up to stay with Luke and Jackson while we went to RYM. In the photo on the left, the boys enjoyed 4th of July sparklers.

In early July, Shane and I hiked Sharp Top Mountain in the Peaks of Otter off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was tough but rewarding! A few pictures above you'll see a picture of what looks like just woods. Look carefully and you'll see a wild black bear! He walked right in front of us--thankfully we were in our car! The pics in the previous post were from our family trip to Emerald Isle, NC, in the southern Outer Banks.

A Summer in Pictures

2007-08-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

Georgia Trip

2007-05-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Luke and Jackson enjoyed visiting Gramps and Mamom, their great-grandparents, as well as Nana and Pop (pictured below at the Marietta Square).

Two steering wheels for two conductors in the little train.

At the Georgia Aquarium. So many colors! Overwhelmed at the size of the whale shark tank. The glass is from floor to ceiling, so Luke had to lay down to really see it all.

Watching the "sea creatures" (as Luke calls them) swim by.

Luke is three!

2007-05-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

May 6 was Luke's third birthday, and we celebrated with a party the day before. I'm glad to report a good time was had by all. We played in every available playspace--basement, Luke's room, Jackson's room, and outside. Our friend Paula Petrey provided the amazing Lightning McQueen cake, and our dear friends the Spilkers were here from Wilmington, NC. So much to celebrate!

Here's a teaser for my next post: our visit to Georgia and the new aquarium.

Good day, sunshine

2007-04-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

We have battled lots of sickness over the last few weeks, thankfully nothing major compared to what many people are facing, but enough to be a bit of a trial. Luke was diagnosed with an "asthma episode"--meaning that it was hopefully an isolated incident. I had a kidney infection last week. And we had the more commonplace stomach bugs and ear infections as well. As a mom, it's easy for me to be fearful when someone in our household is sick. My mind tends to jump to the worst-case scenario. But I read something recently that has helped me try to maintain proper perspective. This is from Nancy Wilson's book Praise Her in the Gates (I don't agree with some of Douglas and Nancy Wilson's theology; however, their wisdom in parenting and marriage is excellent and godly.)

"When our children are sick, it is a good opportunity for us to exercise our faith. Do we really believe God is in control of all things, and will work all things for good, or do we just say this? Sickness is a time when God tests us to see if we really believe He is good. When a child is ill, we must use discretion and wisdom to determine how to care for him...No decision should be made out of anxiety or fear...When children are ill, it is a wonderful opportunity for teaching. You can model patience and cheerfulness to them when you get up in the night to comfort and minister to them."

We are all doing much better now and are enjoying this gorgeous weekend. But I must ask myself if it's a good day because it's sunny and beautiful and everyone is well and everything is "under control," or is it a good day because God is good?

Here are some Easter-time pictures of Luke dying eggs. We had lots of fun with this. We didn't make it to church on Easter because I was in the ER the night before, so it feels kind of like we missed it. However, He is risen and we can and should celebrate and remember that fact every day.

All Things New

2007-04-03T19:10:00.000-05:00

My favorite month of the year has officially begun, and I am not disappointed by the spring display here in Lynchburg. It has been so lovely. Here is our church framed by cherry blossoms.

Happenings

2007-03-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

Luke had a special event at school today--the Noah's Ark Parade. We asked him what animal he wanted to be, and he immediately said, "A shark!" Although we're not technically sure there were sharks on the ark--wouldn't they have just stayed in the water?--God made sharks, and that's good enough for us. So I made him a little visor with some teeth and some eyes, we dressed him in gray,and I made a fin for his back (but he wouldn't consent to wearing the fin). We went to watch the parade and it was pretty cute! He was the only shark the preschool has seen in all its years of animal parades. We do try to stand out from the crowd =) Can you spot the shark in the front row?

We enjoyed having Shane's mom, Mary, twin sister, Nicole, and Nicole's three children come visit last week. It was a little wild having 5 kids under the age of 6 in one house, but we loved having them here. Luke especially enjoyed playing with his cousins this time. He's getting old enough to really play with them. This is a picture of GiGi, Luke, Caleb, and Brooke at Hollins Mill Park where we took a walk and had a snack.

Jackson celebrated the big "1" on March 15. He's very mobile and is learning some new words. His favorite by far is cat. Everything is a cat. He is definitely going be another "outside" boy. He is all about going outside to play.

Party Time

2007-02-19T17:54:00.000-06:00

Playing with their new barn

Check out those eyes! First birthday cake

The whole wiggly fam

At the Whelan home we like for birthdays to last at least a month. So this weekend we started celebrating Jackson's upcoming first birthday on March 15. My parents came up for a long weekend, and our wonderful friend Paula Petrey made an adorable cake to help us celebrate. She is a professional cake baker, and it was fantastic! We had so much fun with Nana and Pop and are thankful they made the long trek north.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

2007-02-13T19:03:00.000-06:00

I messed up. I updated my blog and managed to mess up Shane's blog and my blog at the same time. I used our joint email account to update and sign in, and I didn't think about the fact that Shane used the same email as his identity. So blogger.com thinks both blogs belong to one and the same person. My profile is on his blog, and his name is on all my posts. If you are thoroughly confused about all of this, so are we. Hopefully we'll get it figured out soon. Totally unrelated tangent...Luke loves bananas. I mean, he LOVES bananas. He has eaten at least one banana every day since he was six months old when he started on mashed bananas and baby cereal. Some days he eats two. I figure he is closing in on about a thousand bananas consumed. Now Jackson is eating one every morning as well. We go through about two bunches a week. And, if you are wondering, neither of them seems to suffer any ill effects on their digestive systems. I am so thankful for bananas. They require no preparation, are healthy, tasty, and not that messy. Speaking of bananas, please read my favorite story about bananas by Shane's friend Jeremy Huggins.

More White Stuff!

2007-02-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

We had a big snow last Tuesday night and got to enjoy the fluffy stuff on Wednesday morning. The grand total was three inches, and although we tried to make a snowman, it was just too soft! We had fun making snow angels, throwing tiny snowballs, and trying to get Jackson to walk in the snow. He had some snow boots on that were a little too big, and he wasn't really sure of his steps anyway. All of this combined to make for a not-so-fun snow experience for the littlest Whelan. Luke, however, loved the snow and made lots of footprints. The most remarkable thing for Shane and me is that much of the snow that fell last week is still on the ground. We are used to Georgia snow that lasts 24 hours if you're lucky. Hobbes, watching out the screen door in the top photo, would have loved to have joined us outside. But he has lost any and all outside privileges since bolting out the door to explore the new neighborhood the other night.

Luke was a brave boy last week. He had to have a boo-boo removed off his cheek. Its official name was a pyogenic granuloma. It occurs where a group of blood vessels close to the skin's surface pop up and get irritated. It came up in late December and started bleeding Jan. 9. It would bleed every time Luke would just graze it with his finger, and it started getting bigger. It was a nasty, traumatic experience for him and for us, so after making the rounds through all the doctors, a plastic surgeon removed it Friday. Luke only had local anesthesia, so he knew exactly what was happening and didn't like it one bit. But the procedure was relatively short, and when it was over he was totally fine. Mom and Dad were a little worse for the wear. I don't think there is anything tougher than watching your child suffer in any way. Thankfully, this was minor compared to so many things people go through. But we are glad it's over and Luke is recovering just fine. He actually told me his boo-boo wasn't "noying" him anymore! I asked him several times whether the bump or the band-aid were annoying him, so I guess he remembered that. I was pretty impressed. He is such a cutie.

First Snow

2007-02-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

Here is our first Virginia snowfall captured on film. You're just going to have to trust me because you can't see the flakes very well, but you can see Shane and Luke's happy faces. Jackson was out in it too, but this picture of him watching from inside was the cutest. Yes, I know Luke doesn't have any shoes or socks on, and for the record Jackson didn't either. We were so elated to see the snow we ran outside without any. And there weren't any little old ladies around to remind me to put socks on my freezing children. We are supposed to get some snow tonight...maybe it will actually stick around so we can play in it!

Back in the blogosphere

2007-02-05T18:53:00.000-06:00

Here I am! Now that we are settled in our new home and have our DSL hooked up (finally) I'm back. We moved into our house on our anniversary, January 13. We had so much help that it made the moving process pretty painless. Lots of friends showed up with trucks and vans to help us take everything from the apartment to the house a few miles away. I stayed with the boys at the apartment packing stuff up, and when we drove over to the house about 3 hours after the moving started, I walked in and all my furniture was in place, the beds were up and made, and a hot dinner was waiting for us! I continue to be amazed at the love and kindness of Rivermont's church family. The boys are doing well and are enjoying more space to run around. We got our first snow last week--pretty to watch, but nothing stuck. Schools were still closed here though. It seems like we live in a prime region: It snows just enough to enjoy it and close everything down, but not enough to get in the way. Jackson is walking! He is up to about 10 steps at a time (the number increases every day). He is pretty proud of himself. He'll stop and clap for himself. I'll post some new pictures soon. Luke keeps us laughing. We were coloring yesterday, and he drew a snake--his favorite thing to draw and conveniently easy. He said, "I drew a snake, Mom. Check it" For those who aren't as cool as my two-year-old, that's short for "check it out." Shane decided to start his own blog, so check it: www.shanewhelan.blogspot.com

New Home

2006-12-19T13:11:00.000-06:00

Luke had his preschool program today. I am happy to report that he sang the songs and did the motions. He didn't seem to suffer any stage fright at all. It was so precious to watch him and his little buddies up there. It's hard to pick him out without being able to see his hair, so I'll help you out. He is wearing a maroon hat and a red button down shirt in the picture above. As if there isn't enough going on this time of year, we decided to start the house-hunting process last Thursday. We found the perfect house for us almost immediately, and we went ahead and made an offer. It was accepted and we're closing Jan.11! We're thrilled. We'll have three bedrooms, two baths, a full, finished basement, a great deck and yard, and even a pool table thrown into the deal. Next week we leave to visit family... so merry Christmas! I hope you are celebrating the Love that came down to us in Christ that first Christmas day. Rejoice, rejoice, Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Advent

2006-12-10T20:20:00.000-06:00

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, and our church has included this great explanation of Advent in the bulletin each week: "The word 'advent' means 'coming.' The entire Old Testament period was used by God to prepare His people for the coming or advent of the Messiah. Many churches celebrate the Season of Advent beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and continuing through Christmas Eve. Referring to the 'coming' or 'arrival' of Jesus Christ, there is a three-fold meaning of the term advent: (1) the advent of our Lord in the flesh at Bethlehem on the first Christmas; (2) the advent of the Lord by His Word and Spirit here and now; and (3) the advent of our Lord when He shall return visibly in glory at the end of history. The theme that runs throughout is thanksgiving for what God has already accomplished, joy in what God is presently doing, and hopeful anticipation of what God yet will fulfill." Funny Luke-ism: Following the worship service this morning, we had a congregational meeting. They asked parents to get the kids out of the nursery and return to the meeting. Shane went downstairs and brought Luke and Jackson back up. They came in and sat down with me, and I whispered hello to Luke. He said hey and then I heard him gasp. "That's a big cross, Mama!" he whispered as he observed, I guess for the first time, the cross that hangs on the wall in the front of the church. He was very quiet and well-behaved during the meeting. Maybe he's almost ready to sit in on part of the service with us.

2006-12-07T13:58:00.000-06:00

November was a lovely month for the Whelans. We had a quiet Thanksgiving here in Lynchburg--we attended the Thanksgiving Day service at our church and then shared a wonderful meal with the Dunn family and their extended family and friends. As you can see in the picture, Luke got a "big boy haircut" a couple of weeks ago. His curls have already grown out a bit and look like they'll come back just as curly. Jackson is also changing in appearance. He has some little curls on the back of his head, two more teeth coming in, and he's growing with leaps and bounds. He is pulling up and crusing along the furniture, so we know walking isn't far behind. He says "da" all the time and can wave at you.

We got our Christmas tree at a local farm and put it in the den to the delight of the boys and the cats. The Christmas traditions at our church have been so meaningful and rich. We were chosen to light the Advent candle last Sunday. Last night we went to the lighting of the Chrismon tree, and next Sunday night we will have a "Hanging of the Greens" service. All of these things would be enjoyable in and of themselves, but it's more than for fun or tradition's sake. These events remind us of Christ's humble incarnation, and they point us toward His return. They keep us "looking eastward," and help us live in light of God's covenant promises. One of the wonderful things we appreciate about Rivermont is its diligence in making sure everything we do as the body of Christ is meaningful, purposeful, and biblical. Even the smallest details are meant to draw us back to our reliance on God's grace and mercy and remind us of the Gospel.

In totally unrelated news, we are now HUGE fans of the TV show 24. No, it's not currently on TV except for repeats on A & E, but we have rented the seasons gone by in order to catch up by the start of season 6 in January. We are currently about halfway through season 4, so it looks like we'll make it. I highly recommend it, especially for those frustrated LOST fans who want drama without all the unanswered questions.

The Sunshine State

2006-11-06T13:55:00.000-06:00

Jackson in the pool at our Orlando hotel. By the Bay with Patrick

Sunset over Tampa Bay

Trip Photos

2006-11-05T20:33:00.000-06:00

Shane, me, Ashley, Josh, and Jenna in Athens after the Georgia/Miss. State game

We've been home over a week and I'm finally catching up. Our "southeastern tour" as it was dubbed was excellent, but we were all glad to get home. Our trusty Taurus took us 2,100 miles down to Georgia, Florida, and back. The boys did great in the car. They were little troopers and enjoyed seeing friends and relatives. Here are some fun pictures from along the way and there will be more to come when I get a few more minutes!

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

2006-11-03T07:03:00.000-06:00

Some pictures from our Halloween adventures...the sweet little girl in the pictures with Jackson and Luke is our little friend Madison Yeatts, daughter of Chris and Marla. Marla has been such a great friend to me in our time here in Lynchburg. We met at Olan Mills when I was getting a portrait of the boys and she was picking up pictures of Madison. We started chatting, hit it off, and she invited us over for dinner that Friday night. The photographer asked how long we had been friends and when I told her we just met she laughed and said, "No way! I thought you had been friends forever!" Funny story and the start of a great friendship. Luke was Bob the Builder for Halloween, in case you don't recognize him. It took some convincing to get him to wear the construction hat, but he did wear it while trick-or-treating.

2006-10-09T16:49:00.000-05:00

Autumn has arrived in the mountains! The weather is beautiful, the sky is clear blue, and the leaves are vibrant. We live on the third (top) floor of our apartment building, and I am surprisingly thankful because it means we get to stare at the beautiful treetops all day. We were so thankful to have a visit from Shane's mom and stepdad last week. They made the trip from Mississippi in 11 hours--road warriors! The whole family enjoyed their visit, but Luke was especially happy to see GG and Grandpa. We're headed on our first long trip in a couple of weeks. Stops include: Marietta to visit my family, Athens to see the bulldogs (both kinds) play and hang out with dear friends, Orlando for Shane's Youthworker Oasis Conference, Tampa to see Shane's dad and the Whelan side of the family, and Newnan to see Shane's sisters and their families. Whew! Living far away plus having kids equals packing in the visits on trips. Jackson did in fact crawl underneath the Exersaucer all on his own, as you see above. He is crawling in the more traditional sense now; for a while there he was moving around by doing "the worm."

2006-09-26T19:23:00.000-05:00

Here are some fun pictures we took this weekend at Amazement Square http://www.amazementsquare.org, the children's museum here in Lynchburg. Luke loved exploring it all. There is a painting room with glass walls that kids can just cover in paint, and then they hose it off every hour or so. There were stairs that light up when you walk up them, and there was a room with different physics experiments you could do with golf balls. Luke didn't get the physics part (truthfully, Shane and I didn't either), but we enjoyed shooting golf balls across the room. Science whizzes we are not. Notice Luke mixing it up with his headphones and drum machine. I think Ben taught him well!

Runny Babbit

2006-09-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

Luke has been sick for the last few days; I finally took him to the doctor yesterday afternoon when his fever came back and was informed that he has a double ear infection. He has never had an ear infection before, which I find pretty impressive, but now he has two at the same time. After we got some antibiotic in him yesterday he was a new man. I am so thankful for doctors and medicine! Last Friday we headed to Virginia Beach to stay with our friends Gabe and Lisa Sava, and their little girl, Lexi. Shane had tickets for us to see Rascal Flatts in concert at the Va Beach Amphitheater. We had so much fun and it was great to visit the Savas. They became Shane's friends the first time he lived in Virginia, when he worked at WAVY-10 TV station and we first started dating. We have kept in touch and have seen them a few times since we got married. They are expecting baby number 2 in April--yay! Here is a picture of my "little" baby. He is really trying to crawl; he is pretty determined, so I don't think it will be long! Jackson is such a happy little boy. He smiles all the time and rarely cries. Let's just say it's a nice balance to the "terrible twos" stage that Luke is going through. =) Luke has started calling bunny rabbits "runny babbits" which cracks me up. He speaks quite well usually, so it's funny to hear him say it. I like it, and despite what the experts say about discouraging baby talk, I think runny babbits might be permanently added to our family dictionary.

Luke's First Day of School

2006-09-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a milestone day for the Whelan family--Luke started preschool at our church. I didn't think I would get emotional about it, but I was a little sad to think about how quickly he is growing up. I know he's only 2 years old; I'm not supposed to get nostalgic yet. But it is amazing how fast time passes and how much our children change every day. Back to preschool, Luke seems to really enjoy it. He goes two mornings a week and is in a class with a total of 8 boys and 2 girls! It is a very Christ-centered, family-friendly program. It was odd having so much quiet time the last two mornings. Jackson took good long naps and left me to the stillness of our apartment. I have to say I enjoyed it, and I think it will be good for me in terms of working at home and getting things done around here. It's amazing how fast an apartment becomes cluttered--we only have so much "living space," so everybody is living in the same space. I am so itchy to get a house, but all in due time. We signed a year-long lease here, so we'll look for a more permanent residence in the spring. Shane's ministry at Rivermont continues to go well. He has been so busy but is really enjoying devoting all his time at work to the youth of the church. Jackson has been trying to crawl for the last few weeks! He isn't even six months old yet. I think he is trying to keep up with his brother. We were finally able to get DSL yesterday, so I'll be able to post pictures from home whenever I want. I'll try to post more often, so check in more often. Thanks for taking the time to include my writing in your daily life!

Just a Mom

2006-08-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

Two posts in one week...shocking, I know! I had to share this great quote by G. K. Chesterton I read today that really put in perspective what it means to be "just a mom." "To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes, and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute." (from What's Wrong with the World)

Special Day

2006-08-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

Sunday was my 27th birthday, and it was such a special day for our family. Jackson was baptized into the church, and it was a lovely, meaningful service. The picture I posted is with our senior pastor, John Mabray. Jackson listened attentively but then he didn't care much for the sprinkle of water on his head. What a beautiful sign and symbol baptism is of God's covenant and care for His people. After church we went to eat lunch with our new friends, the Petreys, and when we walked in the restaurant, I was greeted with a huge, "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" Shane and Paula Petrey organized a surprise party for me! Many of our new Virginia friends were there, and it was so much fun! I continue to be thankful for our new church family and friends. It was such a special birthday. Saturday we took the boys to the mountains--the Peaks of Otter off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Luke went on his first hike--we walked down to a waterfall. He did great, and Jackson enjoyed the view from a carrier Shane wore. The views were so beautiful. Luke kept asking, "Where are the mountains?" We had to explain, "We're in the mountains!"

The Woes of Dial-Up

2006-07-31T12:59:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to say that I'm still alive and I tried to keep my word about posting pictures, but our stinky dial-up just refuses to allow me to post them. Shane will get a laptop at work in the next few days, so I'll use it at his office or maybe even here if we can pick up somebody's signal. Rest assured that Luke and Jackson are still just as cute and energetic as ever. Luke started spelling his name at Kroger the other day out of the blue. He was riding in the cart singing, "L-U-K-E" over and over again. He also informed me that "Mommy has big ole teeth," which I certainly do not or otherwise I might now have a complex about them. J is rolling over like a champ and grabbing for toys and our noses if we get close to him. He is so smiley. I tried to feed him cereal this morning for the first time, to no avail.

We have really loved worship at Rivermont already. Last week, we had the privilege of hearing Douglas Wilson preach at our night service. I have read and enjoyed several of his books and his wife, Nancy's books. Yesterday morning one of the associate pastors preached a great sermon on Micah 6:1-8. He talked about acting justly in response to the justice that Christ has already fulfilled for us. One comment he made that I loved was in regard to how proud we are of what we think we own and control, and how we want to control everything because we think we can do it best. He said that we sit on top of our little dung heaps and don't want God to come anywhere near them or mess them up. How true--we're so proud of what we think we have to offer God, when in reality it's just rubbish. We can't ever be good enough to gain our own righteousness. Our best efforts are but filthy rags according to Scripture. But how proud we are of those filthy rags, of that dung heap we like to claim as our own. Instead, we should boast about what Christ has done for us, fulfilling the Law and freeing us from ourselves and our sins.

Our First Week in Virginia

2006-07-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

Hello from Virginia! We are getting settled in to our new home in Lynchburg, and we're finally hooked up with phone and internet. We felt very out of touch for a while--it's funny how accustomed you become to being able to reach others and being reachable at any given moment. Anyway, our first week has been truly great. Busy, yes, but we have received the warmest welcome from our new church family, and Shane and I both feel that this is a place we will enjoy and love very much. I told him on Sunday, "This may be a bit premature, but I REALLY like it here!" We have been inundated with visitors, people to help us unpack, babysitters, and tons of food. People are genuinely eager to serve us, and it has already made us grateful and humble. Luke and Jackson are adjusting fabulously...they are sleeping better here than they ever have before. Maybe they're just completely exhausted, but whatever the reason, I'm getting eight hours of sleep every night and I'm loving it. We have taken Luke to the pool a few times and he is getting pretty brave in the water. We took a family trip today to Appamattox, where General Lee surrendered in April 1865. It was so beautiful and peaceful. We took a picnic lunch to a nearby lake and enjoyed the mountains surrounding us. I'll post some pictures of our adventure next time.

In Transition

2006-07-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

Luke, Jackson, and I returned home from a busy, fun-filled trip to Marietta this afternoon. We left last Wednesday, and being gone a week has taken its toll on me! During our visit, I met up with Shane and the youth group at Six Flags last Thursday, visited with friends, went to a wedding, spent lots of time with my parents and grandparents, did a little shopping and a lot of eating, and now we're back in West Point for our final days here. Since things are in flux I won't write again until we are settled and online in our new digs in Virginia. The movers are coming Friday to pack us up; we are saying our goodbyes at church on Sunday, closing on the house on Monday, and movers will be back on Monday to load the truck and head out. We will probably arrive in Lynchburg Tuesday. My parents gave me a great early birthday present...a new digital camera! So I will have lots of fun photos to share as soon as we get settled in a bit. This is a crazy time for us, but it's exciting too. We are looking forward to what God has in store.

Tupelo Buffalo Park

2006-07-02T16:15:00.000-05:00

Here is our most recent picture of Shane and the boys and a friendly tortoise. This is the best I can offer now until we find our digital camera or replace it.

Welcome Mat

2006-06-26T19:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I've done it: I've jumped on the blog bandwagon! It's a commitment that I have thought way too much about, as I tend to do. I couldn't decide if I should really commit myself to being the reporter and photographer of our family, making us accessible to anyone who might browse their way on to our little site. But I decided the benefits outweigh all that. We will be able to share our journey from Mississippi to Virginia, give everyone a glimpse of our life there, and hopefully keep in touch with friends and family on a more consistent basis. A little note about our blog title: We came up with it after Shane returned from junior high RYM (Reformed Youth Movement, a camp in Panama City) last week with a story from the RUF campus minister at UT. He was friends with another minister who visited children with Down's Syndrome at a home supported by Moody Bible Institute. One day the building manager came to the minister and asked, "Do you know what our number-one maintenance request is in this building?" The minister replied that he had no idea. The building manager said, "It's that we clean the windows on the east side of the building." He explained, "Every morning the children wake up, go the window, and press their hands and faces against the windows because they know that the Bible says when Jesus comes back, He will come from the east. They are looking for Him." What an example for us to imitate. Shane and I want to be constantly looking eastward, ready and waiting for Him to return.